The Gringo Shuffle Again
Yesterday we leisurely drove back from Arenal, stopping only a few times. To get Jim a full sized Casio keyboard he's been talking about. To get gas, and a couple of times to eat.
Jim insisted on some greasy fried chicken. I wasn't having it. Day three of eating non-organic foods had done a number on my stomach. Yes, now I cannot eat any prepared foods or it's riding the toilet city. I am turning into Lori Alexander/Debi Pearl on foods and I freaking hate it.
It was when we stopped for gas we had our first 'Gringo Shuffle' encounter. The smiling Tico at the Mobile gas station in Neuvo Arenal told Jim that the gas came to 38,000 colonies. Jim looked at the pump, and it said 28,000 or roughly fifty bucks. Gas is high here, but not that high. Yep, the gasolineria guy tried to fleece Jim out of 10,000 colonies, or 18 bucks. When confronted he grinned and handed over the 10 Mil without explanation to Jim.
After hitting the music store to pick up Jim's new keyboard and his hasty meal of greasy chicken I wanted to stop at McDonalds. Yep, I know, not organic, not even really food. But.. here is what I have discovered living many years with multiple food allergies. I can tolerate well McDonald's little plain cheeseburgers. The buns have more corn starch than wheat, and the meat patty has more oatmeal than beef. I have learned when traveling that these cheap little burgers will not make my sick, where that chicken would have been dicing with diarrhea danger. His chicken smelled so tasty though.
The McDonald's employee running the register tried to short Jim one Mil, roughly a buck eighty, denying and disappearing off the register as Jim kept shoving his change at her and insisting in Spanish that she shorted him. Pretty obvious it was another Gringo Shuffle situation. We got the shift leader over, and got the money back, but damn, it was such an obvious attempt.
As I stood in the line to pick up my burgers I was talking to Jim about the Gringo Shuffle, using those words to describe those two silly rip off attempts. The young Tico man in front of me burst out laughing, and I just had to comment, 'Hey, you know it's true! If they think you're a rich Norte Americano some folks will try.'
I mean, I get it. We're in a poor country, and we're perceived as rich. Which is why I tip well, and pay the maid, the gardener, the pool guys and everyone else that provides services well.
Tip for Ticos. Pick your marks better. Not all of us are stupid and don't know Spanish.
Jim insisted on some greasy fried chicken. I wasn't having it. Day three of eating non-organic foods had done a number on my stomach. Yes, now I cannot eat any prepared foods or it's riding the toilet city. I am turning into Lori Alexander/Debi Pearl on foods and I freaking hate it.
It was when we stopped for gas we had our first 'Gringo Shuffle' encounter. The smiling Tico at the Mobile gas station in Neuvo Arenal told Jim that the gas came to 38,000 colonies. Jim looked at the pump, and it said 28,000 or roughly fifty bucks. Gas is high here, but not that high. Yep, the gasolineria guy tried to fleece Jim out of 10,000 colonies, or 18 bucks. When confronted he grinned and handed over the 10 Mil without explanation to Jim.
After hitting the music store to pick up Jim's new keyboard and his hasty meal of greasy chicken I wanted to stop at McDonalds. Yep, I know, not organic, not even really food. But.. here is what I have discovered living many years with multiple food allergies. I can tolerate well McDonald's little plain cheeseburgers. The buns have more corn starch than wheat, and the meat patty has more oatmeal than beef. I have learned when traveling that these cheap little burgers will not make my sick, where that chicken would have been dicing with diarrhea danger. His chicken smelled so tasty though.
The McDonald's employee running the register tried to short Jim one Mil, roughly a buck eighty, denying and disappearing off the register as Jim kept shoving his change at her and insisting in Spanish that she shorted him. Pretty obvious it was another Gringo Shuffle situation. We got the shift leader over, and got the money back, but damn, it was such an obvious attempt.
As I stood in the line to pick up my burgers I was talking to Jim about the Gringo Shuffle, using those words to describe those two silly rip off attempts. The young Tico man in front of me burst out laughing, and I just had to comment, 'Hey, you know it's true! If they think you're a rich Norte Americano some folks will try.'
I mean, I get it. We're in a poor country, and we're perceived as rich. Which is why I tip well, and pay the maid, the gardener, the pool guys and everyone else that provides services well.
Tip for Ticos. Pick your marks better. Not all of us are stupid and don't know Spanish.
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